As we find ourselves staring down the end of another year, we have some great music to carry us until it is safe to fire up the holiday playlists. So many releases get packed into the fourth quarter, but these four will surely be must-listens.

September 27: The Kris Davis Trio - Run the Gauntlet

Grammy-winning (and Spotlight On alumni) pianist and composer Kris Davis is set to release her new album, Run the Gauntlet, via Pyroclastic Records. This release marks Davis' return to the trio format after a decade, featuring bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Johnathan Blake.


Run the Gauntlet pays tribute to six remarkable women pianists who have influenced Davis' musical journey: Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Marilyn Crispell, Angelica Sanchez, Sylvie Courvoisier, and Renee Rosnes. Davis describes these artists as "beacons of possibility" who demonstrated that a career in music was attainable for women, immigrants, parents, and fans of avant-garde music.

The opening and title track, "Run the Gauntlet" is a tour-de-force, showcasing the trio's interplay and highlighted by Davis's incomparable piano work.

▶ Previews and pre-order available on Bandcamp

October 18: Kevin Sun - Quartet

Another Spotlight On alumni, alumni, saxophonist and composer Kevin Sun delivers, Quartets, on his own Endectomorph Records.

The plural in the title is due to the two separate lineups present on the album.


The first portion of the collection is performed by the quartet of Sun (saxophone) Dana Saul (piano), Walter Stinson (bass), and Matt Honor (drums), an outfit that has been playing together almost weekly in an on-going residency at Lowlands Bar in Brooklyn. They are ideally suited for the task of tackling Sun's compositions.

The second quartet has been playing together since 2023 and features Sun joined by Christian Li (piano), Kayvon Gordon (drums), and Stinson (bass) as the sole holdover. This group is a little looser, at times even playful.

▶ Previews and pre-order available on Bandcamp

November 17: Dylan Jack Quartet - Winter Panes

In case you are starting to think I only listen to the music of Spotlight On guests, my November pick is Winter Panes, by drummer and composer Dylan Jack, along with his Quintet that includes Jack, Eric Hofbauer (guitar), Jerry Sabatini (trumpet) and Anthony Leva (bass).


The Creative Nation Music release is the closest thing to holiday music on this list, but does not look to be anything that straightforward, despite including covers of James Brown's "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto", a take on Vince Guraldi's "Skating" from A Charlie Brown Christmas, "Marley and Marley," the Statler & Waldorf show-stopper from A Muppet Christmas Carol.

This left-of-center "holiday" album also promises "Ocho Kandelikas," a Sephardic Hanukkah piece, amongst others.

▶ Previews and pre-order available on Bandcamp

December 6: microplastique - blare blow bloom!

microplastique is poised to make waves with their upcoming release, blare blow bloom!. The quartet, founded in April 2023, brings together the talents of multi-instrumentalists Ben Zucker, Molly Jones, Josh Harlow, and Adam Shead. Under Shead's compositional guidance, the group's sound draws inspiration from avant-garde luminaries like the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Misha Mengelberg.


blare blow bloom!'s 10 tracks, recorded live in performances across five different cities, promises to showcase the ensemble's improvisational prowess. If the previews are any indication, this one is going to be good.

▶ Previews and pre-order available on Bandcamp